Hello and good evening=)

Here is the new chapter and I can already tell you that there will be a Christmas special on Christmas which I didn't plan for, which makes it even more special=D
at least I think so=D

I wish you a happy reading time!

Klaus was wide awake. He dozed off from time to time, but that was it, because he had hardly ever slept through a night since he became a vampire. Those were the consequences of the life long run that he had been on. Never one minute of peace, because if he rested it could mean his demise.

The night was an enchanted window in time, for time seemed to crawl during night time. It was a mythical creature's friend. Most of the bad plans were concocted and committed during these dark hours, while everyone was sleeping and so it was also the loneliest time.

He was lying on his back with his hands resting under his head and his eyes were fixed on the ceiling of the four-poster bed. His mind wandered around freely while he listened to the prevailing silence around him.

He pondered about everything that had happened during those last weeks, but he didn't come to any conclusion about it. Klaus had never been this indecisive and it bothered him, making him especially nervous. The big bad hybrid had always just taken what he wanted, but what did Niklaus Mikaelson do?
He couldn't remember what he would do. He just felt that it didn't seem right to just take what he wanted in this case. The consequences were unknown to him. He couldn't calculate what was about to happen when it came down to Caroline.

Wouldn't it weaken him immensely if he bound himself to her? Entirely and for eternity?

His eyes searched the ceiling for an answer, but there was none. Mated vampires were rare and he had never met one, so he had no knowledge whatsoever on how such a connection would affect both of them. His heart swelled when he thought about biting her and marking her as his.

The way his fangs would penetrate her neck and suck her sweet blood. The way how it would draw very moans from her and how she would then bite him as well. Every vampire would know that she would be spoken for. Spoken for by him! A strong feeling of possessiveness got hold on him and he bit his cheek to contain the urge to ravish her right now. She was so enticing!

But she would be the way to get to him, right?

Niklaus, a small voice in his head said, isn't she already? Wouldn't you already do anything to protect her? And if so then where is the big change you fear so much?

He sighed because he should have stayed away from her from the beginning on.

The memory of her 18th birthday came back to him again, as if it had been yesterday that he had saved her life for the first time.

"Are you going to kill me?"

He would never get her small frightened voice out of his head and the longer he thought about it the louder it grew and the clearer it became that he never ever wanted to hear those feelings in her voice ever again. A collateral damage he had called her, nothing personal. He sighed.

Back then he had wondered about her big fearful eyes and that tiny flicker of excitement as he had mentioned the beauties the world has to offer. And of course there had been her light all around her and Klaus had known that there was so much more to her than just the young superficial baby vampire.

He had noticed it immediately.

From that moment on he had gathered more information about her. Her human life and her beginning as a vampire. She had an admirable sense of control and her record was so impressive that he had even envied her a bit. Experience told him that she could be brilliant in a decade or two, a master of perfection and maybe that had done it or maybe her big naive eyes that were looking so unaware of her talents.

She had a great future ahead of herself if she made the best of it, as if she had been destined to become a vampire. His stomach tightened and there was a huge weight on his chest when he figured that he wanted to be there with her when she would become that master of perfection. The lump in his throat grew, yes he wanted to show her the whole world and teach her everything he knew.

The original shook his head and had almost laughed out loud. What inane thoughts!

He looked over at Caroline who was curled up into a ball next to him. The image reminded him of a purring little kitten. A smile spread over his face. She was sleeping so peacefully next to him, only moving ever so much while dreaming.

Klaus turned onto his side and stared at her when a sudden serene peace fulfilled him. It started in his stomach and spread through his whole body. Feeling like staying in this moment forever he asked himself once more how much would change if they mated.

The voice was back: Certainly not your feelings for her.

When he was about to put his arm around her waist Caroline suddenly stirred.

She started stretching and tossing making Klaus frown. Did she have a nightmare?

He perched himself up on his elbows, ready to interfere with whatever was disturbing her, when she suddenly opened her eyes and he thought his heart would stop beating if it hadn't already been dead.

Her eyes were glazed over and had the colour of white milk, when they stared deadly into the air.

The words caught in his throat at the sight of her. What the bloody…?

Then she swung her legs out of the bed with slow steady movements. Klaus mouth dropped open when she stood up and walked over to the door.

"Caroline!?"

There was no reaction from her and she just kept walking without batting an eyelid. Klaus jumped out of the bed and was next to her in an instant. "Caroline!"

He wanted to touch her but withdrew the outstretched hand again, because this was no normal sleepwalk. He walked backwards in front of her, but there was no recognition in her face at all. She wasn't aware of her surroundings anymore.

He watched how she opened the door and walked into the hallway without blinking. Lingering for merely a second before she set off again into the direction of the stairs.

Do something now!

And so his hands almost reflexively shot out to capture her shoulders, but the second he touched her an electric shock hit him and he had to let go again.

He growled in frustration while he looked at his burned palms while Caroline kept walking as if nothing had happened.

"Elijah!" He called out and saw his brother step out of the library at the end of the staircase with a book in his hands. He as well didn't sleep much and spend most of his nights reading.

Elijah saw Caroline slowly descending the stairs with her eyes tinted in a creepy white.

His brother followed her. "She is under a spell or something! I can't get to her!"

Elijah stepped into her way, but Niklaus quickly told him not to: "No, don't! She is under protection against any touch." He held up his palms that were slowly healing. "I knew it was too easy to get her back!" He growled angrily. "I will rip their heads off! What now?" The anger inside of him was directed at himself for he hadn't listened at all to his suspicions. He had been too relieved to finally be able to hold her securely in his arms again.

Elijah's thoughts raced. They had to act quickly no matter what. Although it was all in a big hurry he didn't fail to notice that Niklaus had asked him what to do and there was a faint sight of fear in his eyes. Never the less, he was the original hybrid and got back into soldier mode very quickly.

"Get Kol and Bekah. There's no other way but to follow her and when I am right she will lead us straight to the pack. We probably need Damon and Stefan as well, as reluctantly as I am to that but we still don't know for sure what this is about."

"Niklaus…" Elijah put his hand onto his shoulder before his brother could flash off. His eyes were yellow and there was a wild look on his face when his voice rumbled deeply in his throat: "I am not letting her out of my sight, Elijah!" His tone was threatening but Elijah knew he didn't mean it like that. "I am not losing her again!" he pronounced every word and felt the truth of them scorch him like a blazing fire. Elijah simply nodded and let him go.

Caroline didn't notice what was going on around her. She kept walking. Out of the door and out of the house. Her naked feet on the ground were silent. Klaus was close on her heels but kept himself hidden so no enemy would detect him immediately.

The invisible strings pulled her into the forest deeper and deeper with Klaus following her every move until he saw a glaze of fire between some trees. He stopped and waited behind a tree to overview the scene before he stepped into action. He couldn't be too hot headed now even though everything inside of him screamed at him not to let her anywhere near those rotten scum.

Caroline walked out of the forest into the clearing and the wolves stirred.

They looked incredulous from the witch to the sleep walking vampire.

"I can't believe it worked." One mumbled into the darkness and gaped.

The witch just smiled and beckoned her hand at Caroline who unconsciously stepped closer.

The alpha walked up next to the witch. "I see you didn't lie! So what happens now?"

"I need to take the spell off her. It uses too much energy besides no one can touch her like this. So be prepared to grab her." She held her hands up in front of the young vampire and muttered a spell.

Caroline's eyes cleared when she blinked a few times and the milky fog disappeared.

She felt groggy and still half asleep, but the smoke that hit her nose made her snap her eyes open. A gasp escaped her throat. "Wha…" A piercing scream soared through the air as her eyes focused recognizing the scene.

The hands were immediately on her to hold her prisoner.

"Tie her up and bring her into the circle."

"No…" Caroline struggled against the firm grasp but she felt weakened from whatever had happened. This is a nightmare! This has to be a nightmare!

She repeated over and over again to herself while she wildly shook her head. Tears started to burn in her eyes when the fingernails dug deeply into her arms. No! This can't be happening!

Her body trembled when all the memories of the pain came back to her.

Had she always been here? Never been saved? Had she merely dreamed about Klaus?

Sheer panic embraced her.

A strangled sob escaped her lungs and then there was the sweetest sound she had ever heard.

"And what pray tell are you going to do then?" Klaus stepped out of the forest. Caroline immediately turned her heard into his direction and her heart jumped to her throat while her eyes searched for his. He was here!

"Klaus." The witch smirked. "How nice of you to join us."

"You might want to think about that again when I have your head on a stick!" He growled and his eyes flashed yellow. Caroline struggled to get to him but the vervained ropes, the wolf put around her, kept her where she was.

The witch kept grinning. "Proceed!" She ordered the wolves.

There was an angry crease on his nose and Klaus growled a wolf's growl. "I don't think so!"

But as he did a step closer flames emerged from the ground and he noticed that the witch was standing in a huge pentagram, which he couldn't enter. Another furious loud outcry left him.

"I will hunt you down until you drop dead!"

The witch was still holding her posture. "Not if they find you first!"

He squinted. "What are you implying?"

"You and your vampire friends will live a life on the run hybrid!"

"What do you want to achieve?"

"Oh no one told you our little plan, did they?" She chuckled and got a big knife out of her pocket.

She slowly walked over to Caroline whose feet were trying to run but they just dug into the muddy ground for her ties were holding her in place. "No." Caroline whispered and her eyes were glued to the knife.

"Why do you need her!?" Klaus yelled and grew furious as he watched the baby vampire writhe in fear and the knife in the witch's hand that came closer and closer to Caroline.

"Oh, we didn't need her particularly, but since you weren't up for a blood donation and now that she has it in her system…" With a long slash she cut Caroline's arm open.

She cried out and Klaus bared his fangs.

"If you just hadn't saved her, right?" The witch let Caroline's blood flow into a bowl and every time the gash was about to close she cut it open again. "Look where your love for this one girl got you! You are weak hybrid and alone!"

"He is neither!" Elijah's voice boomed through the forest followed by himself and after him Kol, Rebekah, Damon, Stefan and even Elena and Bonnie surrounded the pentagram.

The witch squinted angrily. She hadn't actually believed that anyone would come to his aid. They had observed the family for weeks and there had only been hostility in the air between them.

"Oh come on seriously!?" Damon asked as he observed the scene. "Why don't you give us our baby there back, then we might not kill you and can all go back to bed. What do you want her for anyway? Isn't it Mr Hyde here that you want?" He pointed at Klaus.

The witch smirked at him as well. "His blood suffices."

"For what?" Stefan asked.

The wolves inside the circle looked anxiously around. They weren't many and being surrounded by so many vampires made them very nervous. The witch chuckled and kept the blood flowing from Caroline's body who grew weaker and weaker by the second. "You vampires have roamed the earth long enough. It's time for you to extinguish. With this blood I attempt to bring back the great vampire hunter…"

"No!" The originals were all stirred by the fact that the witch attempted to bring their father back from the dead, but their faces didn't show it, just Rebekah's had lost a tad of its colour.

"…along with the great five." She continued.

"You can't bring anyone back from the dead!" Damon said.

"She has help from the other side." Bonnie said and the witch's eyes fell on her. "The Bennet witch! Regained your powers yet?"

Bonnie pursed her lips. "Enough to stop you."

"Why are you helping them?"

"Because I owe them." Was the simple answer she gave and then she grabbed Elena's hand who she would drew power from. She started mumbling which made the witch act faster.

She left Caroline as she was and took the bowl over to the centre point of the pentagram put it on the ground and started mumbling. Suddenly Klaus screamed and put his hand onto his chest.

"What is this?" He snarled.

The alpha wolf walked around inside the circle. "Didn't we mention? Your hybridism has to be reversed!"

Klaus growled as another jolt of pain ran through his body. "Argh." He dropped onto his knees and every eyes were on the hybrid on the ground.

"Not that I ever liked him, but Bennett, now is the time to hurry up!" Damon snarled.

Bonnie's chanting became stronger and Elena dropped to her knees moaning. Damon's eyes flashed to her and he looked as if he was about to flash over there and get her out of the clearing as soon as possible.

But suddenly Elijah moved to Bonnie's other side and took her hand. The fire swirled.

Caroline blinked and was barely conscious but she heard Klaus's cries ever so clearly. It was all she heard actually. She couldn't focus on anything else.

Kol watched the scene with eager eyes. His older brother had stepped out of his way again and even though there had always been a gap between them he had never truly hated him, right now he truly wanted to help him.

The fire swished and swirled as if it was indecisive as to which witch it was to obey.

Both of them kept mumbling and mumbling while both parties, the wolves and the vampires, became nervous. They started pacing and fixated each other calculating as how to proceed in the case there was a fight to come. Considering where to pounce first.

Blood started pouring out of Bonnie's nose and her skin became lucent, but she didn't stop.

Rebekah was drawing deep nervous breaths because her eyes didn't know where to linger. They searched for Stefan's who stared at her intently. She drew power form that and tried to focus on the scene again.

The fire disappeared with Bonnie's fall onto the ground.

"Now!" Kol yelled and flashed forward. One of the wolves had panicked and bit into Caroline's neck. She screamed and Kol snapped the neck of her attacker in an instant.

There were snarls, growls and screams. Elijah kept anyone from the unconscious bodies of Elena and Bonnie while Kol was in the inner ring. He went after the witch next but he was merely able to knock her potion over before she enforced headaches onto the vampires.

However that was Klaus' cue to recover. Besides a light pressure in his head the headaches didn't affect him at all. He struggled to get up but he managed and flashed over to the witch. His fist was inside her chest immediately. "No one dared to threaten my family and survived!" He squeezed her heart and the witch cried out loud. A wolf wanted to jump at his back but Kol was quicker and got him midstride.

Damon cried out as he got bitten, but he smashed his attacker in a rock and made him run away. Most of them seemed to flee now. Klaus yanked her heart out without any further thought. "Say hi to Mikael!" He snarled.

Another neck snapped as Stefan saved Rebekah from being bitten.

The scene slowly cleared.

Klaus was next to Caroline in an instant. Her shoulder was soaked with blood and the bite looked horrible as it slowly grew. Worry clenched his heart with ice cold fingers and he quickly bit into his wrist.

His sweet blood ran down her throat and she felt how it seeped into her every cell.

"Thank you." She whispered with much gratitude in her voice. He held her eyes for a little longer before he helped her up and looked around. Stefan was just chasing the last wolf away.

Elijah was helping Elena to her feet and easily picked Bonnie up.

Damon held his neck from which the blood was running freely. "Hey, Big Bad, want to offer me a drink?" Klaus rolled his eyes. "If you are stupid enough to get yourself bitten…"

"Nik!" Rebekah said reproachful.

"Calm down, sister!" He grabbed the bowl on the ground and let a bit of blood flow inside it before he handed it to Damon who quickly downed it. "So, how about that 'thank you for your help'!"

"Don't overstep the line, Damon!" He snarled and looked around.

It was Stefan who approached him and nodded at Caroline. "Get her out of here, we'll do the rest." Motioning to Damon, Kol and Rebekah. Elijah would take Bonnie and Elena home.

Kol nodded at Klaus who looked at him.

Klaus bowed his head before he picked Caroline up. "I think I can walk." She mumbled and rubbed her temple.

Klaus sighed: "As if I cared."

Then he flashed off towards the house.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he had put her down in his room. She nodded. "I am. Klaus, what happened? All I remember is…waking up in the forest." She shook her head frantically as if she could somehow get rid of the confusion. Her mouth twitched. There was a black hole inside of her mind, as if a part of her memories had been erased. As is a part of her had been erased!

One look at him and she suddenly threw her arms around him and clung to him. "It was like waking up to my worst nightmare."

He stroked her hair and pressed his lips to it. "It's over, my love. I guess, they needed my blood to reverse the hybrid spell and resurrect the vampire hunters. They knew I would save you, so they let you bleed out and I had to feed you my blood. They must have linked you to one of them before so you would come to them." The young vampire in his arms hid her face in his chest and Klaus kept carressing her hair.

Caroline shivered. She had never felt that small and uncontrolled. Not being able to interact or even notice that something was going on was the worst she had ever felt. That was why she hated compulsion so much and would walk away the minute she got to know someone manipulated her. There was a lot to process and she didn't know where to start for she had hardly any memories of how she had gotten into the forest in the first place. There was just this big black hole. She would have preferred the nightmares over this oblivion.

"Let me see your wound."

"What?" She snapped out of her thoughts and frowned at Klaus. "You know that it is healed by now."

Klaus kept looking into her eyes. "Let me see it." He whispered and a shiver ran down Caroline's spine. Caroline watched him almost suspiciously out of her big blue eyes. She was a bit dumb struck and slowly pulled her shirt off her shoulder. Klaus examined her shoulder closely and let his fingertips trail over the spot she had been bitten making her get goose bumps starting on her arms and going all over her body. He slowly bowed his head. "Not even a scar."

His lips tenderly touched her bare shoulder and Caroline tried to swallow the big lump in her throat. It was the most caring act anyone had ever given her, especially since Klaus knew perfectly well, that no scar would be left behind. Caroline felt something then, something that filled her whole being. She wanted to stay here and never leave again. I think I am really falling for him…and even more when he is so…caring.

Klaus covered her shoulder back up and silently put his arms around her. Caroline was grateful that she didn't have to talk, because she was sure that her voice would break at any syllable. She just let Klaus hold her and soothe her with his mere presence. She held on to him as well and buried her face in the curve of his neck taking a deep breath. Klaus felt her relax and she strangely did the same to him. If right now she was granted a wish, it would be totally selfish and involved Klaus' staying by her side and act more often like he did tonight. Klaus felt her snuggling up against him even closer which made him close his eyes, because of the emotions that flooded his whole being.

At some point Caroline drifted off to sleep.

The original was chewing on his lip while he watched her.

The attraction to her was undeniable and tonight had happened exactly what he had feared most. Caroline had been used to get to him, had been used because of him. He hadn't wanted to put her in any danger, but his mere presence was enough to do just that. She would never be safe at his side, would she? Could he keep her safe?

He sighed and slid out of her embrace very carefully so he would not wake her. He started walking up and down the room. Too much had happened for him to rest now. His mind wouldn't stop wandering and wondering. Indecisive of what to do or how to proceed he left the room to get a drink downstairs. He would hear her if anything happened.

His body seized the sudden urge to go back and keep her close to delve into her warmth and never let go of her again, but Klaus forced himself to keep walking. No, he had to decide what to do first!

Yes or no? He never did things by halves. It would be all or nothing.

The limbo he was hanging in killed him.

The study was dark.

He went over to the liqueur cabinet to get himself a glass of scotch. He sighed and set down into a comfortable big wing chair from the 19th century. He rested his hand against his mouth and stared into the darkness until someone suddenly turned a small light on in the corner of the room.

Klaus hadn't heard him but he had smelled him. Elijah was the only one who managed to nearly sneak up on him. The younger one didn't turn around though.

"Brother." Elijah spoke. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Klaus shook his head. "Be my guest." So Elijah sat down into the chair next to him after he had gotten himself a glass as well.

He could almost hear Niklaus' thoughts for he looked more than thoughtful, but considering what had happened he was holding himself together very well.

If Klaus was very true to himself he didn't mind Elijah's company at all for he actually thought about talking to him. He was the only one who he was willing to talk to about his thoughts.

But he needed time and Elijah gave it to him. He sensed that his brother would need an advice some time and he was willing to help him, but he had to ask on his own accord. He would never force his opinion on him. Their bond ran deep but Klaus hardly spoke about his true feelings only in those very rare moments when it became almost unbearable.

"Is everything taken care off?" Klaus started and Elijah nodded.

"Yes, there were no problems at all, everything is done. How is Caroline?" Reflexively Klaus strained his hearing sense but couldn't detect any disturbance. "She is asleep. She can hardly remember anything and is rather calm. Elijah, about what happened this night, I…don't know what to make of it."

Elijah took a sip from his glass. "The fact that you didn't already run does say something, doesn't it?" Elijah knew him too well. "I wanted to. They were never supposed to get this close to neither me nor Caroline nor anyone. I was too distracted."

Elijah shook his head. "You were living. Niklaus, I know you are not used to it, but this is what happens and in the end no one was badly harmed."

"But it was close! I should send her away." He said bitterly and stared at the floor with an angry expression. Elijah twirled his tumbler.

"What do you want to do?" His voice was calm and steady. "Compel her to forget you and punish yourself again for decades?"

"She detests that." Klaus answered and by thus admitted that he wouldn't do that to her.

"Niklaus, excuse me but, don't you think it's already too late?" He shot his brother an annoyed look. "Anyone already drew the connection between the two of you and you have formed quite an attachment even though you are still reluctant to truly admit it to yourself. And what about Caroline? She grieved your absence when you tried to back out. Consider where it got both of you."

Klaus was silent for some minutes. Out of the blue he then asked in a low voice: "Do you consider love a weakness?"

"No." Elijah simply answered before he explained.

"But tonight…"

"Yes, I admit that it gives you a certain amount of vulnerability, but at the same time it makes you invincible and grants you something very valuable."

"What is that?"

Elijah smiled. "Something worth fighting for." Klaus looked at his brother surprised. He had never thought about it that way. He squinted and considered this. He had always been fighting for his family, but at the same time he also fought with them. Something worth fighting for…

"What about the risks?"

"I think you know that already. It's the reason you always ran."Klaus looked at him questioningly. "Fear." Elijah mouthed. "You are afraid of getting hurt and of hurting."

Klaus knew he was right, but who would admit that?

"What did Caroline say that makes you so insecure?" Elijah wanted to know.

Klaus sighed, but he thought that he had already opened up this much, now he could also go on with it. "She wants to be with me." There was a twinkle in Elijah's eyes, but other than that he didn't betray his calmly outward appearance.

"Will you take the chance?"

"Should I?"

"You have to decide that for yourself, brother. There will be pain and heartbreak but I think you can manage."

"I am too selfish to walk away." Klaus muttered.

"Is it selfishness?" Elijah just asked.

"What if I fail?"

"Who? Niklaus, who could you possibly fail?"

"Caroline."

"What makes you think you can fail her? How?"

"What if she wants me to change?"

"Did she ask you to?"

"No."

"She knows who you are." And is willing to get to know the other sides… he added in his mind.

Klaus sighed. He was running out of excuses. "What if I lose her?"

"That is the risk to take. But you will remember the good times you will have had until then and Niklaus if I may tell you that you are not alone. She may not be an original but she is strong and you are not the only one who is willing to protect her, brother." He gave Klaus an intense look.

"Why?" Klaus asked.

A smile tugged at Elijah's lips. "Because she makes you happy, makes you question yourself, challenges you and keeps you going on beyond your boundaries." He was silent and Elijah added. "And I do like her as much as my own sister."

Thank you so much guys for reading, following and reviewing!

Have a great weekend!